A study on the knowledge and attitudes about delirium of nurses working at a university hospital

This survey was conducted as a descriptive research to determinate the delirium knowledge levels of 420 nurses working at determinated units in a university hospital. The data were collected with a questionnaire prepared with the help of literature related to the subject and they were analyzed bu using SPSS 23 statistical package program. At the end of the study, it was found that 79,3% of the nurses were able to identify the delirium, and 60,4% had the correct definition, 81,9% knew there were differences between delirium, dementia and depression, 76,4% indicated that the patients whom they care for, hallucinate; and there were the patients in fear and anxiety, 79,5% of the nurses orientated the patients towards place, person and time 71,2% had the patients in the diagnosis of delirium, at their working unit. Consequently, delirium it has been determined that most of the nurses don't have enough information about delirium and the nurses who stated having information about it, can not describe delirium, truly. So, this can be the reason of missing the delirium signs in clinical environment it is suggested that the subject of delirium should be taught with enough time throughout nursery education, in service training about describing and a standart data form for evaluating delirium should be developed for using in all clinics.